The term ‘beauty sleep’ has been used jokingly for years but new research suggests there may actually be some truth in it.

The study saw researchers in Stockholm photographed ten participants on two occasions, the first time after a good night's sleep and the second when participants had been awake for 31 hours.

Forty people were asked what they thought of the images, they rated them in terms of how sad, tired and attractive the participants looked.

The puffiness around the eyes and redness were enough to make someone unattractive, or at least less attractive, but a droopier mouth, fine lines and hanging eyelids also negatively contributed.

How our sleep cycle works

 "Since faces contain a lot of information on which humans base their interactions with each other, how fatigued a person appears may affect how others behave toward them," study author Tina Sundelin said in a press release.

"This is relevant not only for private social interactions, but also official ones such as with health care professionals and in public safety."

The findings were published in a journal entitled Sleep.

Don’t say we’re never good to you, now you have a valid excuse for your Saturday morning lie in!